Signal for motor-vehicles.



L. I. LOVETT.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHIGLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1913.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

m/vnvroe ,owili man/ms load? W/l/VES'SES $641214 L. I. LOVETT.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES. APPLIOATICN FILED SBPT.11,1913.

1,122,?76, Patented Dec.2 9,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES I n lNl/E/VTOR m Lazzw jmz iz nrromvns pivrrnn STATES PATENT LOUIS I. LOVETT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN F. HAMILTON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SIGNAL FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1911 41:.

Application filed September 11, 1913. Serial No. 789,342.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, LoUIs I. Lovn'r'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Signals for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in signals for motor vehicles, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a combined signal and tail lamp which may be used for indieatingthe directionin which an automobile is about to turn, and which when not indicating the direction of movement of the vehicle, may be used to illumine the sign bearing the registration number.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel form of. mechanism by means of which the signal may be operated by use of an electric current.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a face view of the device as applied to an automobile. Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the working parts of the device. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the lamp circuit. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4+4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view of the device. Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of the device, and Fig. 7 is a dlagra-mmatic view of the circuit for operating the solenoid and sounding the audible signal.

In carrying out my invention I provide a casing 1, which is preferably cylindrical, as shown in the drawing, but which may be of any suitable shape. Within the casing is disposed a pair of solenoids such as those shown at 2 and 3. These solenoids areconuected together by means of a brass tube 4, whose ends extend into the center of each solenoid and form, in fact, a part of the solenoid upon which the wire is wound. The solenoids have a common core 5 which is recessed at 6 to receive a rack 7 which is preferably made of brass and which'is secured to the core 5 by means of screws 8 (see Fig. 4), or in any other suitable'manner.

The core 5 is slotted at 5 (see Fig. 1) to receive a pin 8" carried by the tube 8, which will prevent any tendency of the core 5 to rotate.

Journaled in the walls of the casing 1, is a shaft?) upon which is mounted a segmental gear 10. This gear is arranged to engage the rack 7, the tube 4 being cut away at 11 as shown in Fig. 2.

Secured to the end of the shaft 9 on the outside of the casing is a hollow rod 12 which bears at its upper end a lamp 13 of the shape of an arrow head. This lamp is provided with av glazed opening 13" through which the light may shine, to illuminate the registration number. At the opposite end of the rod 13 is another lamp 14 of the shape shown in Fig. 2. The upper lamp 13 is preferably provided with ruby glass on its face, the glass 13* being white, while the lower lamp 1 is provided with green glass. The lamp 13 is provided with an incandescent bulb 13, while the lamp 14 is p ovided with a similar bulb 14 \Viring for the bulbs extends through the hollow rod 12, the lead wires 15 being connected with a suitable source of current. A hell, or other audible signal 16 is secured within the casing 1.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the circuit connections for operating the indicating device, and also the bell. In this figure B denotes the battery. This is connected on one side to the bell 16, which is connected on its opposite side to a switch 17 adapted to engage contacts 18 and 19 respectively. The contact 13 is connected on one side of the solenoid 3, the other side of the solenoid'being "connected to the battery by means of the wire 20. The contact 19 is connected to the solenoid 2 on one side, the opposite side of the solenoid being connected to the battery B by the wire 21.

From the foregoing description of the various parts, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The device is mounted upon the rear of an automobile, such as that shown at A in Fig. 1, in such a position that light from the lamp 13 may shine directly on the registration number 22, when the device is in its normal position. this normal position being indicated in Fig. 1. When the device is in its normal position, the switch handle 17 is in the neutral notch n of the locking segment 23, therefore, no current flows through the solenoids. If now, the device is to turn to the right, the switch handle 17 is swung over to the right so as to rest on the contact 19, being held in this position by the locking segment Current will now flow from the battery it through the bell. conductor '24:, switch handle 17, contact 19, solenoid 2, conductor 21 and back to battery. This will energize the left hand solenoid 2, thereby causing it to draw the rack inwardly, thereby rotating the gear 10 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, thus turning the rod 12 and the upper end of the indicator to the right, the lower end of the indicator going over to the left. A vehicle following the automobile will, therefore, be aware that the automobile bearing the indicating device is about to turn to the right. Furthermore, attention will be called to this fact by the sounding of the bell. The looking segment 23 will hold the switch handle permanently until it is moved to its neutral position, and when moved to its neutral position, the solenoid will be deenergized and the device will be returned to its original position by means of gravity.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a device which normally illuminates the regis tration number, and which acts asga' tail lamp, but which may be made to indicate the direction in which the vehicle is about to turn, and provides as well. an "audible signal.

The device is simple in construction, and having few parts, is not liable to get out of order. The provision of the green light at the opposite end of the rod 1:2 from the red light serves as a double indicating mechanism, since the green light will indicate the direction in which it is safe to proceed while the red light indicates the direction in which it is dangerous to proceed. Furthermore, if for any reason the bulb in one lamp should fail to glow, the other lamp will indicate the direction in which the arrow, formed by the rod 12, and the lamps 13 and 14, is turned. 4

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of the device in which the shaft 9 bears a rod 12 which depends from the shaft and is provided with a lamp l3 of the shape shown in the figure. This lamp is provided with an upper portion 13", which is glazed with white glass through which the light from the bulb 13 may shine directly on the rod 12 thus illuminating the latter and showing clearly the direction in which the signal is turned when the solenoids are operated. In this form of the, device it is obvious, of course, that the solenoid 2 should be connected to the contact 18, while the solenoid 3 should be connected to the contact 19, since the point of engagement of the rack and pinion is below the shaft 5).

With the terminals changed as indicated,

when the switch is moved over to the right, the indicating device will also swing to the right, and when it is moved to the left, the indicating device will move to the left. It will be understood that my signal devices may be operated to indicate or signify a stop signal by throwing the arrow first to the right and then to the left and then back to normal position, or the devices may be utilized otherwise to indicate signals as may be agreed upon.

I claim 1. In a signal device for motor vehicles, a casing, a shaft pivotally mounted on said casing, an indicating arm carried by said shaft, a tube disposed at right angles to said shaft, each end of said tube being wound to form a solenoid, and the central portion of the tube being slotted, a segmental gear carried by the shaft and arranged to project through the slot in the tube, a rack member disposed within the tube and having teeth in mesh with those of the segmental gear, and a common core, for said solenoids slidably disposed within the tube and forming a carrier for the rack.

2. ln a signal device for motor vehicles, a casing, a shaft pivotally mounted on said casing, an indicating arm carried by said shaft, a tube disposed at right angles to said shaft, each end of said tube being wound to form a solenoid, and the central portion of the tube being slotted, a segmental gear car ried by the shaft and arranged to project through the slot in the tube, a rack member disposed within the tube and having teeth in mesh with those of the segmental gear, a common core for said solenoids slidahly disposed within the tube and forming av carrier for the rack, said core having a longitudinal slot on the side opposite the rack, and a guide pin secured in the bottom of the tube and arranged to project into the slot in the core, whereby longitudinal movement of the core is permitted, but a rotary movement of the core about its axis is prevented.

3. Ina signal for motor vehicles, 2 casing, ashaft disposed therein, an arm carried by said shaft, said arm having a lamp at its end provided with a glazed opening for throwing light toward the rear and having a glazed opening on the side for illuminating the registration number when the arm is in normal position.

LOUIS I. LUVETT.

Witnesses:

L. A. STANLEY, SOLON C. KEMON. 

